Alfred Broge: Interior with Sunlight from an Open Window (1907)
Good evening, Kibitzers!
How is everyone doing on excessive heat today? I have 90s here for today and tomorrow, but honestly, as long as the power is on, nicer temperatures are mostly wasted on me during the work week, and if any weather gods are listening to my suggestions (they are clearly not), I’d prefer to see a little cooling go to some of you who need it more.
I have an ambition to make some ice cream, but again, this is not likely to happen until the weekend, and realistically, will require WAY more available space in my freezer than currently exists. So, by the time I clean out the freezer, which somehow I seem much less eager to do than make ice cream — well, maybe we’re looking at a 4th-of-July project. If any of you make ice cream, I am interested in recipe suggestions, but recipes for chocolate stand the best chance of being tried.
❧ A couple of years ago, I wrote here about a video called To Scale: The Solar System, in which two young filmmakers undertook to build and film a model of the solar system in the Nevada desert that was actually to scale. It won a lot of awards, and they made a “making of” video that is also on the To Scale YouTube channel (as well as in that diary).
The filmmakers are Wylie Overstreet and Alex Gorosh, and they describe their channel as “A series of short science films examining the most overlooked facet of our universe: its astonishing scale.” Now they’ve added another film, To Scale: Time. Here is its text from the YouTube page:
On a dry lakebed in the Mojave, a group of friends build a practical scale model of time: 13.8 billion years of cosmic evolution, and our place within it. Best viewed at 4k playback on the largest screen available, with good sound or headphones.
You may also like to see the webpage, which has a PDF download available, that lists the points on both of the timelines they build, the 1 million year, 1 km model of humanity, and the 13.8 billion year, 6.9 km model of the universe starting from the big bang. The other site I’ll direct you to is the one about their idea to turn their concept into a five-part limited To Scale series, starting with the atom. I hope they get it funded! [10:20]
The accompanying How We Built a Scale Model of Time is pretty interesting and gets a bit moving at the end. The closing song is John Craigie’s Dissect the Bird, full lyrics here.
...The universe is not against you
It went through a lot just to give you a chance
It must have wanted you pretty bad
No pressure, though…
[7:06]
John Craigie performs Dissect the Bird, live at the Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix AZ, November 2022. [6:15]
While we’re musing about our tiny place in the vast scale of time, what about some more songs? As always, please share your favorites that I’ve left out, which I’m sure are many because this is a VERY loosely-defined theme!
John Lennon’s Across the Universe, sung by Rufus Wainwright. [4:07]
...Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe...
Joni Mitchell: Woodstock (In studio with a live audience, 1970) [6:13]
...We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil's bargain
And we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden.
Prince and The Revolution: 1999 (Live in Syracuse NY, March 1985) [5:52]
...I was dreaming when I wrote this
So sue me if I go too fast
Life is just a party
And parties weren't meant to last...
The Bangles: Paul Simon’s Hazy Shade of Winter (The House of Blues, Hollywood CA, September 2000) [2:45]
...Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me?...
This is the Within You, Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows track from the Beatles’ 2006 Love album, since both of those songs came to mind for this spot. Love is an album of mashups created by Sir George Martin and his son Giles, with the permission of the Beatles/their widows, as a soundtrack for the eponymous Cirque du Soleil show. It was the last album George Martin produced before his death. [3:07]
...When you've seen beyond yourself
Then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we're all one
And life flows on within you and without you...
Finally on this theme, the cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Time Warp. [4:33]
It's astounding
Time is fleeting
Madness takes its toll...
I thought this was a good ad from the super PAC The Seneca Project. As always, your KTK management is glad for the support of former Republicans (they are not all Republicans) who wish to help re-elect President Biden, but showing this video should not be taken as an endorsement of donating to this super PAC when there are numerous Democratic campaigns in need of our donations. [1:04]
One more: parodist Patrick Fitzgerald uses Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue to create a little song about tfg’s weird battery-or-shark fixation, Electrical Canoe. FYI, once the actual speech of tfg begins playing, the singing’s over and you can safely hit ‘stop’ if you, too, can’t stand hearing him. [2:02]
I’d like to note, as a public service, that The Borowitz Report, a former satiric feature of The New Yorker that I used to excerpt here during the Plague, is now a Substack with a free tier, so if you enjoy Andy Borowitz’s work, you can read it here. For example:
Biden to Wear Shark Costume at Debate
ATLANTA (The Borowitz Report)—In what some are calling a masterstroke of psychological warfare, President Biden revealed on Tuesday that he will participate in this week’s televised debate attired as a shark. [...]
As if to taunt his adversary, Biden appeared in a video today dressed as the carnivorous sea creature, telling Trump, “Shark Week came early, pal.”